Charles heinrich



(No Mod 1.

"f 0. HEINRICH. 4 WRIST SUPPORTING HAND GUIDE FOR PIANOS OR ORGANS.

Patented May 8, 1894.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HEINRICH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WRIST-SUPPORTING HAND-GUIDE FOR PIANOS OR ORGANS.

SIECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,675, dated May 8, 1894.

Application filed January 6, 1894:. serial No. 495.969. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HEINRICH, a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrist-Supporting Hand-Guides for Pianos or Qrgans; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact desorption of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in wrist supporting hand guides for pianos and organs. The correct touch or the formation of tone is the basis of all piano technique. Without this preliminary condition, the legato as the foundation of piano playing can never be successfully accomplished. The correct, strict, legato, as a foundation principle, if neglected from the beginning, the future acquisition of a correct technique is rendered almost impossible. Legato playing lll general, does not, with the piano, asin the case of the organ, depend alone upon the fingers of the operator being held down until the next note is sounded, but it depends also on the proper touch, which can only be obtained through the proper position of the arm,wrist and fingers,thus begins the prac:

tical study of piano technique. The armmust hang down from the shoulder in a light and easy manner; the elbow must not be turned outward but must point downward in such manner that there is a distance of about one inch between the arm and the body of the player. The piano stool must be so placed and located that the elbow, wrist and hand shall form, as nearly as possible, a straight line. In order that a pupil may intelligently acquire such knowledge of piano technique as to enable him to properly use his arms, wrists and fingers in studying piano playing, whereby be can readily acquire a scientific f touch and accomplish correct legato playing, is the object of my invention.

A further object is to produce a wrist supporting hand guide capable of ready application to a piano or organ of any size or make.

A further object is to provide a wrist supporting hand guide capable of easy vertical adjustment,

the case or socket piece.

A further object is to produce a wrist supporting hand guide which shall be simple in construction, easy to manipulate and which shall be eifectual, in every respect, in the performance of its functions.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view illustrating my invention. Fig. 2 is a view of the device folded. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views.

A represents a portion of a piano. To the under faceof the piano body, at or near the ends of the key board, my improved devices for supporting a wrist supporting hand guiding bar, are attached,-and the series of devices for supporting both ends of said bar being identical in construction a description of one will suffice for both. In constructing the devices for supporting said" wrist supporting hand guide, a case or socket piece a is secured to the under face of the piano or organ (one at each end of the key board) for the reception of a bar b adapted to pass freely through it. A spring I) is secured at one end to the case or socket piece a, and at its other end carries a latch pin 19 adapted to pass through a perforation in the case and enter a notch b in the bar I), thus locking said bar to To the inner end of the bar b (which normally does not extend to the edge of the piano body), a bar .0 is con nected by means of a hinge c. The bar 0 projects beyond the edge of the piano body for some distance and to its free end a vertical bar at is connected by means of a hinge d, the vertical leaf of said hinge d being secured to the vertical bar at a short distance from its end. In order to maintain the vertical bar 01 in proper position when in use, a latch plate e is pivotally connected at one end thereto and at the other end is made with a notch e for the reception of a pin e secured to the horizontal bar c,or,if desired,the latch plate may be secured to the horizontal bar and the pin to the vertical bar. The upper end of each vertical bar is adapted to pass loosely through slots f, f, in the ends of the wrist-supporting hand-guiding bar B, which latter extends the length of the key board and is preferably made with a rounded top g, as shown in Fig. 1. The barB is maintained at the desired vertical adjustment by means of pins h passing through perforations in the ends of the bar B and in the vertical bars d. The vertical bars Will be made with a series of perforations (i) so that the wrist-supporting hand-guiding bar B can be readily adjusted vertically. In order to maintain the bar I) in a proper horizontal position when the device is in use an L-shaped bracket or supportj is secured to the piano and the arm- 2" thereof projects under said bar. When the device is not in use it can be folded under the piano body as shown in Fig. 2, in which position it will be retained by means of L-shaped brackets is.

The lower part of the side brackets, composed of the bars above described, can be made in a single piece, if desired.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with horizontal arms made in folding sections and means for attaching them to the piano, of vertical arms hinged to the horizontal arms, braces, and supporting bar adjustably connected with the vertical arms, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with horizontal arms made in folding sections, vertical bars connected tl1erewith,and supporting bar adj ustably connected with the vertical bars, of boxes with which the horizontal arms are adjustably connected, and brackets for the sections of the horizontal arms when folded or straightened out, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHAS. HEINRICH. Witnesses:

JOHN ONDERDONK, FRANK S. YORK. 

